Experience Alberta: mountains, lakes and cowboy country

Air Transat flights to Alberta land in Calgary, the province’s largest city and the beating heart of Western Canada. Ninety minutes west of Calgary is Banff, a mountain town nestled within Banff National Park. Most of those brilliant images of the Canadian Rockies were taken in the park, either from atop one of the peaks or at Lake Louise, Peyto Lake and Moraine Lake. These sparkling alpine lakes offer an incredible swimming experience in summer, and the most spectacular ice-skating in winter.

Equally gorgeous is Jasper National Park, situated northwest of Banff. With nearly 1,000 kilometres of trails, it’s the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. It’s less commercialized than Banff National Park, and much better for visitors looking to camp out under the stars or on the shores of magnificent Maligne Lake. Between the two national parks lies the Athabasca Glacier, where travellers can charter an ATV bus and see what life in the last Ice Age must have looked like in Alberta.

Throw down at the Calgary Stampede

Travellers to Alberta in July will arrive just in time for “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.” The Calgary Stampede is a 10-day festival that attracts over a million visitors, and features one of the largest rodeos in the world, stage shows, concerts and chuckwagon racing. Calgary gets extremely busy during the stampede so many visitors choose to stay out of town in places like Rosedale, High River and Drumheller—the last of which is also a must-visit for dinosaur fans as many of the most complete skeletons were found there and are on display.

Up to Edmonton and beyond

Edmonton is Alberta’s capital city and only a three-hour drive from Calgary. Visitors interested in Alberta’s “cowboy culture” will find it there in spades and spurs. Edmonton is also the gateway to Alberta’s oil industry, and interested visitors can charter trips north to Fort McMurray for a first-hand look at what has made Alberta the wealthiest province in Canada.

An Alberta adventure will be memorable any time of year. Elevate your holiday plans with a flight to the Canadian Rockies on Air Transat.

Banff National Park, just an hour west of Calgary in the Rockies, might be Canada’s most enjoyable place to be. The things to do in Calgary’s mountainous backyard range from winter skiing and hot-spring hopping in the winter, to swimming in Lake Louise during Canada’s summer months, to experiencing frontier Canada in Canmore on the park’s eastern edge. But as much fun as Banff is, it doesn't come close to the city of Calgary itself.

Entry/exit requirements

As of March 15, 2016, travellers looking to visit Canada will be required to fill out an application form (eTA). This document will be required when boarding a flight to Canada. For more details, please visit Canada.ca/eTA.